Immersion Heater Faults

The immersion is what a lot of Sligo households fall back on when the boiler is off for the summer or has broken down. When it stops working you have no hot water at all.

Usual causes

The element burns out, or the thermostat fails. Both are replaceable and both are a same-visit job in most cases. If the immersion trips the electrics every time it is switched on, the element has almost certainly failed and gone to earth, and it should not be used again until it is replaced.

Scale build-up shortens element life considerably in hard water areas.

Sink and bath elements

Many cylinders in Irish homes have two elements, one at the top for a quick tank of water and one at the bottom for a full tank. If only one of yours works, that is a straightforward fix rather than a whole new cylinder.

Timers and switches

Sometimes the immersion is fine and the fault is in the switch or the timer. It is worth checking before anyone starts draining a cylinder.

When the cylinder itself is the problem

An old copper cylinder that has started weeping at a seam is not repairable and we will say so. Replacing it is a bigger job and we will price it clearly.